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A hilarious babywearing timeline by Caitlin:
March 2011- Babies R Us
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We’re registering for our baby shower. My boyfriend walks by the carriers section. This is what follows:
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Him: I want a baby backpack. Like The Hangover. Picks up Moby, looks it over, and hands it to me. This is weird. How do people hold babies with fabric?
Me: I don’t know. It’s one of those hippie mom things. Put it back. What backpack do you want?
Him: Shrug. How about this Infantino one? It’s cheaper than those Bjorns.
Me: Fine.
Bar Code Gun: Beep.
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August 2011- The K Household
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Me: There’s a woven wrap on sale for $90! Can I get it?
Him: Don’t you have a lot of carriers already?
Me: I have a ring sling and a meh dai but that’s for quicker trips and they’re a little harder with a newborn. And I have the Moby, which is great for now but I need a woven for when she’s older and heavier.
Him: Shrug. Get what you want. I’m still mad you threw my backpack in the dumpster.
Me: Infantino stinks.
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So what changed my tune in five short months?
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I had my darling baby girl in early July. The first time we ran errands alone I was lost. The stroller bottom suddenly looked very, very small. Car seats aren’t safe on the top of carts and putting a giant bucket seat inside the cart doesn’t afford you very much room either. How was I supposed to shop? Then, while I was at BRU supposedly buying diapers with one of our gift cards, I picked up a Moby. I turned it over and read the directions. Too complicated. I put it back. I remembered we had the Infantino backpack but the size limit started at 8 lbs, and Baby K was a petite 6 lbs 11 oz at birth, and an even smaller 6.3 at discharge. At the time, she was well under the limit. I picked up the Moby again and concentrated on the directions. I’d seen people do it. I was college educated. I could fold some fabric and hold my baby. I put it back again. Wearing your baby was for crunchy mamas. I wanted to raise an independent baby, one that would walk and not demand to be carried everywhere, one that would fall asleep without be strapped to me. No, I’d have to find a different way then babywearing to shop. I didn’t want people to stare at me like I was a weirdo.
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I went to the diaper aisle. They were out of our brand in the size box we buy, and the only option was the bigger box. That wasn’t an option because I didn’t have anywhere to put it. I was suffering from a bit of the baby blues, a bit of the insanity of parenting a baby with colic, and a bit of the punch drunk of not sleeping, Now I couldn’t even provide diapers for my kid. I bought the Moby. People were already staring at me like a weirdo for sobbing next to the Pampers anyway.
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I’ve never done drugs so I don’t really understand the concept of a gateway drug, but if it’s anything like a gateway carrier, then I completely get it. The minute I put Baby K into her wrap she quieted down and became almost pleasant. If anyone reading this has a baby with colic, you know how precious those quiet moments are. I wanted more of this, stat. In my frenzied babywearing research, I came across the PAXbaby website. It answered so many of the questions I had. I love the wrap but I wanted something a little quicker to learn with a bit less of a curve. I got my first ring sling. I didn’t care for it at first, but PAXbaby to the rescue with the backwards RS carry. I acquired a meh dai that both Baby K and I looooove. I got a woven (and then another one). I googled until I understood what my options were, and I wanted to try them all. I threw the Infantino in the dumpster, much to the chagrin of Mr. K.
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That was awesome! I relate on so many levels!!! I’ve gotten crunchier with each of my five children and I think we’re all better for it! Thanks for sharing!
I love love love love this, and can so relate, right down to the sobbing breakdown in a big box store (although ours was Target, LOL!) I can’t imagine having tried to parent DD1 without a carrier (or five) and I REALLY can’t imagine trying to keep up with her while still caring for her little sister without having a safe and snuggly carrier to keep her close!
Love this story…It truly is an evolution. I had stared at so many wrap sites thinking, I can’t do that. There is a gateway carrier. Ours was a water wrap out of necessity to take big kids to the pool. After the water wrap, we went Wrapsody, then wovens, wovens, wovens, then Becos, then ring slings…It’s fun to have them all. Lucky you that you discovered this magic with your first baby! Lovely story!
Haha! Ours was an Eddie Bauer front carrier! Our next purchase was a ring sling… then a Moby…
I love your story thanks for sharing! I totally understand my moby was what I started using too with my son almost five years ago. I recently purchased a ring sling too. I now have three kiddos and just like you said in your story about a carrier not leaving much room in the cart; well neither does two older siblings. With baby number three there wasn’t any other way, and I wouldn’t want one. Even my hubby wears our moby(so proud of him). Our babies grow up so fast I love the feeling of having my kids close to me I want to absorb every snuggle I can 🙂
Ours was a *gasp* bjorn with my son for a month or two when I realized it was complete trash, then I picked up a moby…..and it was allllll over from there!!!! Mei Tai, BBII… ahh the LOVE!
The BBII will definitely be a gateway carrier for Mr. K!! My husband and I fight over our BBII because he wants it left sized for him, but I use it for back carries while I’m cleaning.
So, I compromised and bought a Boba from a friend! 🙂
That is a gorgeous carrier!!
Steph
What is the carrier that you are wearing in the picture? I am a first time mamma looking for my first time carrier and soooo overwhelmed with my options. I understand that there are “gateway” carriers, but I just don’t know where to begin. Is there a favorite?
Hi Julie! I emailed you with some ?s for you!!!